myTukar auto tips: Common concerns about Electric cars

Although there’s still a while before we see more 100% electric or Pure Electric cars on the road in Malaysia, the incoming of electric cars are inevitable in the near future as infrastructure improves and adoption becomes wider. Plus, there are incentives offered for the adoption of EVs and Government intervention to eliminate non-EVs in the future.

Many are still fairly comfortable with petrol and diesel cars in this country. A number of motorists have gone on to hybrids and plug-in hybrids. Several manufacturers too have included one or two hybrid or plug-in hybrids in their model line-ups and previewed production EV like the Mercedes-Benz EQC.

One of the major concerns for people who wanted to switch to all-electric cars is adverse weather condition (driving in the rain or thunderstorm), according to a worldwide research study. The research also shows that many are skeptical about charging an electric car from a safety perspective. Another perspective about skepticism on EVs is many do not actually know enough about EVs.

EVs are already widely accepted in China and Europe by general users and fleet management companies. In London itself, there are more than 20,000 electric vehicles.

Without further ado, here are the common misunderstandings about EVs:

Range anxiety bringing you down?

A typical electric vehicle (EV) covers between 160 – 320 kilometers (100 - 200 miles) on a single charge and even longer on some models with ranges of more than 485 km (300 miles). The Nissan LEAF is the well-known 100% electric vehicle in Malaysia along with its sister brand Renault, the ZOE, and Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has previewed the EQC recently. However, many prominent brands have elected to introduce plug-in hybrids rather than full-fledged EVs at this point in time.

Where to charge?

In Malaysia, charging stations are still very much saturated to the Klang Valley in the most populous State of Malaysia. The capital city and surrounding most populous cities have more charging points than anywhere in the country. Due to this slow adoption and lack of Government assistance, brands rather play the wait and see game than take a huge risk. The other factor being the price structure for EVs. A while back when hybrids were a thing in this country, the Govt actually assisted to encourage car brands to bring in more hybrid cars with generous subsidies and incentives. At the time, there were quite a number of takers for hybrid cars.

Are electric vehicle too expensive?

With more and more affordable and competitive options and fewer moving parts to fail or need replacing, EVs are in fact cheaper to run than conventionally fuelled vehicles. The only concern is the battery and motor, however if a manufacturer’s warranty comes with it, there’s absolutely nothing to fear.

Worried that electric vehicles are too sluggish?

This is simply not true as EVs have Instant torque. This means they can accelerate just as quickly and if not much quicker than their petrol or diesel counterparts.

Think you can’t take an electric vehicle through the car wash or drive in the rain or thunderstorm?

Of course we’ve all been told that you don’t mix electricity with water, but when it comes to EV’s its perfectly safe to use a car wash and there’s no extra risk of driving in a thunderstorm. The battery and electric motor are all properly encased to prevent from anything that might damage them.

What are the EV choices in the local market?

The electric car market is expanding quite fast abroad. However, it’s somewhat of a stalemate in this country. The reasons are plenty, we’ve mentioned the Govt factor, cost factor, no one other than Nissan/Renault is taking the leap, and simply not enough hype about EVs to begin with.

Safety of electric vehicles?

Although EVs are relatively in its infancy stage, car companies are actively pursuing the EV approach in a larger scale than you could ever imagine. For manufacturers, EVs undergo the same rigorous testing and meet the same safety standards required for petrol or diesel fuelled cars.

After-sales and breakdown coverage for EVs?

As adoption rate is still low, after sales and breakdown coverage for EVs are relatively under the radar. Based on the hybrid/plug-in hybrid cars, select manufacturers offer up to eight years of warranty for battery, on top of the standard 5-year warranty and breakdown services. We figure that the same warranty and services would apply for EVs on they hit the masses.

Are EVs as exhilarating as regular petrol-engined or diesel cars?

As soon as you push down on the accelerator, the transition from stationary to speed is almost instantaneous. It’s almost effortless to drive an EV!

myTukar auto tips: Common concerns about Electric cars

Although there’s still a while before we see more 100% electric or Pure Electric cars on the road in Malaysia, the incoming of electric cars are inevitable in the near future as infrastructure improves and adoption becomes wider. Plus, there are incentives offered for the adoption of EVs and Government intervention to eliminate non-EVs in the future.

Many are still fairly comfortable with petrol and diesel cars in this country. A number of motorists have gone on to hybrids and plug-in hybrids. Several manufacturers too have included one or two hybrid or plug-in hybrids in their model line-ups and previewed production EV like the Mercedes-Benz EQC.

One of the major concerns for people who wanted to switch to all-electric cars is adverse weather condition (driving in the rain or thunderstorm), according to a worldwide research study. The research also shows that many are skeptical about charging an electric car from a safety perspective. Another perspective about skepticism on EVs is many do not actually know enough about EVs.

EVs are already widely accepted in China and Europe by general users and fleet management companies. In London itself, there are more than 20,000 electric vehicles.

Without further ado, here are the common misunderstandings about EVs:

Range anxiety bringing you down?

A typical electric vehicle (EV) covers between 160 – 320 kilometers (100 - 200 miles) on a single charge and even longer on some models with ranges of more than 485 km (300 miles). The Nissan LEAF is the well-known 100% electric vehicle in Malaysia along with its sister brand Renault, the ZOE, and Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has previewed the EQC recently. However, many prominent brands have elected to introduce plug-in hybrids rather than full-fledged EVs at this point in time.

Where to charge?

In Malaysia, charging stations are still very much saturated to the Klang Valley in the most populous State of Malaysia. The capital city and surrounding most populous cities have more charging points than anywhere in the country. Due to this slow adoption and lack of Government assistance, brands rather play the wait and see game than take a huge risk. The other factor being the price structure for EVs. A while back when hybrids were a thing in this country, the Govt actually assisted to encourage car brands to bring in more hybrid cars with generous subsidies and incentives. At the time, there were quite a number of takers for hybrid cars.

Are electric vehicle too expensive?

With more and more affordable and competitive options and fewer moving parts to fail or need replacing, EVs are in fact cheaper to run than conventionally fuelled vehicles. The only concern is the battery and motor, however if a manufacturer’s warranty comes with it, there’s absolutely nothing to fear.

Worried that electric vehicles are too sluggish?

This is simply not true as EVs have Instant torque. This means they can accelerate just as quickly and if not much quicker than their petrol or diesel counterparts.

Think you can’t take an electric vehicle through the car wash or drive in the rain or thunderstorm?

Of course we’ve all been told that you don’t mix electricity with water, but when it comes to EV’s its perfectly safe to use a car wash and there’s no extra risk of driving in a thunderstorm. The battery and electric motor are all properly encased to prevent from anything that might damage them.

What are the EV choices in the local market?

The electric car market is expanding quite fast abroad. However, it’s somewhat of a stalemate in this country. The reasons are plenty, we’ve mentioned the Govt factor, cost factor, no one other than Nissan/Renault is taking the leap, and simply not enough hype about EVs to begin with.

Safety of electric vehicles?

Although EVs are relatively in its infancy stage, car companies are actively pursuing the EV approach in a larger scale than you could ever imagine. For manufacturers, EVs undergo the same rigorous testing and meet the same safety standards required for petrol or diesel fuelled cars.

After-sales and breakdown coverage for EVs?

As adoption rate is still low, after sales and breakdown coverage for EVs are relatively under the radar. Based on the hybrid/plug-in hybrid cars, select manufacturers offer up to eight years of warranty for battery, on top of the standard 5-year warranty and breakdown services. We figure that the same warranty and services would apply for EVs on they hit the masses.

Are EVs as exhilarating as regular petrol-engined or diesel cars?

As soon as you push down on the accelerator, the transition from stationary to speed is almost instantaneous. It’s almost effortless to drive an EV!